


Two Lives To Give

by Draco_Shion



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Emotionally repressed Hubert, Multi, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Talking about what might have been, Unrequited Love, and the Hubert/Byleth is also kinda unrequited, but also treats his A Supports with Dorothea and Edelgard as canon, past Dorothea/Hubert I guess?, referenced one-sided Hubert/Edelgard, this is inspired mainly by Hubert/Byleth A Support
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:02:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28882137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Draco_Shion/pseuds/Draco_Shion
Summary: The end of the war is in sight for the Black Eagles, and Hubert uses a rare quiet moment to confess his feelings to Byleth. Later, Byleth and Dorothea are amused by the realisation of how strange their romantic situation has gotten.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/My Unit | Byleth, My Unit | Byleth & Hubert von Vestra, My Unit | Byleth/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this way back in September 2019, but this is my first time posting it anywhere. It's a bit nerve-wracking actually throwing a fic out into the world, but I hope you enjoy it!

It was the perfect opportunity that he’d been waiting for: Byleth was standing, alone, watching the sunset from the top of the stairs near the cemetery. There was definitely no one else around. With a very seldom-felt little jolt of nervousness, Hubert walked up to stand beside her.

“Ah, Professor…” (why did he  _ still _ call her that, he wondered?) “Do you have a moment to talk?”

She turned to him and smiled, her emerald-green eyes catching the sunlight. “Of course.”

“It’s concerning a more personal matter than you’re used to hearing from me.” Byleth did nothing but raise her eyebrows at him. He took a deep breath, astonished at himself for feeling so nervous, like some young fool. “Do you remember that, not long after you returned, I told you that if I had two lives to give, I might devote my other one to you?”

“And that we’d be a couplet of birds, flying alongside the sovereign eagle? Yes.” Byleth was looking at him intently with the tiniest little smile, that he knew not how to interpret. It was that strange piercing gaze and often unreadable expression which had made him feel unable to trust her for so long. But she had served Her Majesty and the Empire very well since then, and now, thanks in no small part to her, it seemed an end to the war was in sight. And she remembered almost exactly what he’d said to her, all that time ago!

“Well... I may not have two lives, but the war is, I hope, nearly over, and I may soon be in a position to give a little less of my life to Edelgard. There might be room for two now. I believe you see what I am getting at.”

“Yes, I do.” Byleth sighed; her smile was gone. “Oh, Hubert, I’m so sorry, but I’ve already promised my heart to someone else.”

His heart sank, but he had expected as much. With a feeling of the inevitable, he asked “Dorothea, by any chance?”

Byleth smiled. “Yes! Was it  _ that _ obvious?” Yep, there it is, Hubert thought. What a ridiculous, tiresome situation. Aloud he said, “Heh, I’ve been watching you two making heart-eyes at each other practically since you started teaching. But you’ll find I am  _ particularly _ perceptive when it comes to such things.”

“Especially when you have a crush on the person in question?” 

Hubert looked away from her gaze for a moment; she really could cut right through people when she wanted to. “Please don’t use the word  _ crush _ , but yes, I suppose I can’t deny it. You’re more perceptive than most yourself, I suspect.”

“Yes, perhaps I am,” Byleth said softly, looking down. 

“You knew… how I felt, then?”

“I’ve suspected it ever since that little speech about the two lives, and the birds.”

Now it was Hubert’s turn to sigh, heavily. “I suppose that wasn’t exactly subtle. That was about when it started, actually, or at least when I became aware of it - when you came back. Seeing how happy everyone was to have you back… it made me reflect on how special you are.” He stopped himself before he said too much; he hated talking about feelings, but Byleth always had the effect of making you open up more than you’d planned, without her having to do anything at all. She had smiled when he’d said she was special, but her eyes were full of sadness. “But there’s no point talking about such things now. Apologies for wasting your time.” He inclined his head to her and made to leave, but she grasped his wrist and gently pulled him back towards her.

“I really am so sorry, Hubert. If  _ I _ had two lives to give, perhaps I’d give one to you.”

Hubert almost choked up, but managed to say “I am honoured to hear you say that, Byleth.” Was that the first time he’d called her by her first name alone? It felt strange, transgressive, even though that was absurd. “In another life, we might have been together - what a  _ romantic _ notion,'' he added, sardonically, but while his voice expressed the contempt he felt for all things as weak and silly as romantic ideals, his body was wracked with emotions he hadn’t planned for at all. 

“Yes, indeed. If I told Dorothea, she’d probably write an opera about it.”

“Please don’t!” Hubert said quickly, and Byleth laughed, while inwardly Hubert cringed; but on the plus side, it seemed Dorothea hadn’t told Byleth about her offer of marriage to  _ him _ , months ago. Objectively, of course, it really wasn’t worth making a fuss about: it wasn’t as if he’d accepted her offer, and now  _ she _ had clearly moved on, while for his part Hubert had nothing to move on  _ from _ . But now, he’d made the situation between the three of them even more complicated, and he regretted it… although it was nice to know that Byleth  _ would _ have considered marrying him, if not for Dorothea. 

Meanwhile, Byleth was now looking at him seriously. “You’re in love with Edelgard, too, aren’t you?” she said. 

This conversation was not going to plan whatsoever. “Yes. Was it  _ that _ obvious?”

Byleth snorted with laughter again at his repeating her words. “Yes and no. I’ve never been completely sure whether you were in love, or more like... platonic soulmates.”

“Hmm, well, soulmates is certainly the right word.” He hadn’t thought of him and Edelgard as soulmates before, but as soon as Byleth had said it, he realised she was right. “Your Dorothea knew I was in love with Edelgard before _ I _ did.”

“What makes you think you have any hope of her failing to notice how you feel about  _ me _ , then?”, said Byleth, eyebrows raised.

“Good point”, he conceded, looking away again. Stop being so _ silly _ , he told himself, it doesn’t matter one jot whether Dorothea knows or not.

“Heh, it’s fine. She’s not the jealous type, nor likely to gossip about it.” Byleth paused thoughtfully, and then added “She’s not  _ always  _ so observant when it comes to other people’s feelings, either.”

Hubert thought it best to remain silent.

“Anyway, I don’t suppose there’s any question of you marrying Edelgard, or you wouldn’t have asked me”, Byleth stated. Hubert felt no shame about the fact that she was absolutely correct on this assumption. 

“I... don’t think so, no. We shall see. Her Majesty thinks it wise to keep herself open for a political marriage, for the time being.” He found himself unable to keep a note of bitterness out of his voice, but it was ridiculous, really; he  _ agreed _ that she should remain unmarried. In fact, he wasn't sure he would marry Edelgard even if she wanted to, because he didn't think it was the best thing for her. He'd downplayed her feelings for her as much as he could, when they were discussing it, although he'd admitted them in the first instance some time ago. 

Byleth, though, took his hand again, so that her palm was clasped to the back of his hand, and said earnestly "I wish you the very best of luck for the future, then, Hubert. I really hope you and Edelgard can be together in the end, or that you find someone else you love. You deserve to be happy, after all of this… both you and Edelgard do." 

Hubert smiled. "Thank you, Professor, and the same to you. I hope you and Dorothea have a happy life together after this war ends." Smiling back at him, she released his hand, and he stepped back just a little. He continued, "And Edelgard and I will always be  _ together _ , I hope; whether we are  _ married _ is much less important."

Byleth nodded in understanding.

"I will take my leave of you now. Let's not discuss this matter again."

"Yes, of course. See you later, Hubert."

At last, Hubert turned and walked away, feeling a definite sense of relief. Hubert had many strengths, but he was very aware that anything relating to feelings, not least his own, was not one of them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little appendix, or postscript perhaps, that I added when I got Dorothea and Hubert's A-Support. I find it so funny that if you get most/all of the A-Support convos unlocked, pretty much everyone is in love with each other. The entire Black Eagles Strike Force is the best polycule :P

“You know, you’ve got competition, Dorothea,” said Byleth, from her armchair in the second-floor common room. 

“Well, of course I have! You’re the most popular person in this army, Byleth, dear. And not for no reason, either,” her fiancée replied, with her usual teasing smile that never failed to make Byleth blush a little, at least on the inside. 

“Guess who asked if I’d marry them, earlier.”

Dorothea’s beautiful eyes widened. “A  _ proposal _ !  _ Today! _ Gosh, I  _ was _ lucky to get in early, wasn’t I?” she exclaimed. “Go on, tell me who it was - I wouldn’t like to guess.”

“You’re no fun!” said Byleth, but she went on, “It was Hubert.” 

Dorothea made a sound along the lines of “Offb!” and covered her mouth with her hand in a perfect portrait of an elegant lady reacting to shocking news. Byleth still hadn't decided whether she found that melodramatic streak - a hangover from the opera-house days - endearing or slightly irritating, but either way, she hadn't been expecting  _ that _ strong a reaction from Dorothea. She raised her eyebrows at her questioningly.

"Um - well - I suppose I have to tell you now," she stammered, looking rather embarrassed. "You see…  _ I _ actually asked Hubert to marry  _ me _ , back in Lone Moon."

"Oh! Why - did you love him?" Seeing the agonised look on her partner's face, Byleth relented and added, gently, "I don't mind at all, Dolly, I promise." 

Dorothea sighed, and said, more calmly, "I know I can't lie to you, Byleth; I don't want to anyway. Yes, I… fancied Hubie. It was how he talked about his devotion to Edie; it fascinated me. And I wasn't sure of your feelings toward me at the time, so…" she trailed off. "I'm sorry, I should have told you about it before. I didn't think Hubie would want me to tell anyone."

Byleth nodded. "No, Dolly, you're a better woman than I, because he specifically asked me  _ not _ to tell you about his proposal today." she said ruefully. "Now I know why." Then, suddenly, she giggled a little.

"What's so funny, dear?" said Dorothea, feeling very much knocked off balance by the entire conversation.

"Oh, it just struck me how absurd this is - you proposed to Hubert, then I proposed to you, then Hubert proposed to me. It's pretty funny, actually." The genuine amusement on her lover's face made Dorothea relax a great deal; she believed that Byleth really wasn't angry at her, if she was able to find the situation funny. And, thinking about it now, she agreed - it  _ was  _ absurd, and so she laughed too.

"You're right. If this was on the stage, I would never be able to take it seriously!"

Byleth smiled, and said "I thought something similar myself."

"Oh, gosh, all these romantic dramas going on lately! It's so exhausting!" Dorothea exclaimed, and dramatically dropped herself into Byleth' lap - she had been wandering up and down the room, although not due to a lack of anywhere to sit. Raising a hand to Byleth' cheek, she continued "I'm glad that  _ I _ have you to rely on now, don't I?"

"Yes, of course, Dolly," said Byleth, and kissed her. 

There were a few moments of happy silence, and then Dorothea said "I want to make it clear - look me in the eyes so you can see I'm not lying - Hubie was always my Plan B, Byleth. Well, more like my Plan C, really, but… You were first, is the point. I  _ did _ fancy him, but I only asked him because I didn't know if I could count on you. The whole time, I wanted to live with you - to  _ marry _ you," she added, a thrill running down her spine when she acknowledged how close, how attainable her dream of marrying someone she truly loved was now.

"I know, Dolly. You've been flirting with me since we first met six years ago!"

"Well, yes, but I  _ did  _ flirt with a lot of other people to be honest. But I knew I wanted to grow old with you, even then," she said, and for some reason it felt embarrassing to admit that much even though they were engaged now.

"I did too, my love," said Byleth, and they kissed again. 

Some time passed before Byleth said, contemplatively, "Now tell me, Doll, if Hubert was your Plan C, and I was your Plan A, who was your Plan B?"

Dorothea sighed, but then she smiled. "Guess."

"That's not fair! You wouldn't guess earlier!" Byleth protested, but Dorothea was resolute - she had to guess.

"Linhardt?"

"Oh, he's a sweetheart, and I think he might fancy me, but no."

"Sylvain?"

"Heh, no. He's not as bad as people think, though."

"Ferdinand?"

"No!" Dorothea burst out laughing, and Byleth laughed with her. They were going to be here a while, and that was just fine with both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did have a particular ship in mind when Dorothea was trying to get Byleth to guess who else she'd considered trying to get together with... you can try to guess who it is if you want! ;)


End file.
